COAL TOWNSHIP - "Car surfing" isn't cool, and it can be suicidal.
That's the message being expressed by Coal Township Police Chief William Carpenter who issued a warning Wednesday morning to both the drivers and "surfers" involved with the latest fad that their behavior can have serious and even deadly consequences.
Carpenter said he's received a few reports during the past month of teens or young adults "car surfing" along Route 125 in the Burnside area. He said the practice involves a person standing on the roof of a car while the operator drives at a slow speed.
He warned that drivers and "surfers" will be charged if caught. Drivers face more serious offenses, such as recklessly endangering another person, homicide by vehicle or involuntary manslaughter if the "surfers" they are transporting get injured or killed.
"Right now, there's only been a few complaints about 'car surfing' in the Burnside area," Carpenter said. "It's the newest craze in our area and we don't want it to spread any further. We encourage people to report 'car surfers' whenever they witness these acts and we plan on patrolling the Burnside area more often in hopes of catching these people in the act."